Staff Weapon
=Staff Weapon= Introduction A long staff style weapon capable of being used both as a staff and to fire bolts of energy. Runs on a liquid naquadah fuel cell Study of captured staff weapons During the first operational period of the new UKGC organisation two captured staff weapons were examined and attempts made to quantify their performance. One, on receipt did not deploy properly and discharged at much reduced power. This was dismantled for investigation. The other was used for firing tests. A further opportunity to study the weapons behaviour occurred spontaneously in a fight with a Jaffa at the Stargate. I was amongst the party surrounding the gate at that point & fortuitously had my instrumentation with him. I was able to take measurements of the weapon in two planes as the Jaffa stood with it rested in the early exchange. When the shooting started the staff was fired to either side of me and I recorded readings of both blasts. ---- Empirical observation The reason for the fault in the damaged weapon could not be ascertained. The four part projector head would not open fully and it seems possible that this “defocussed” the energy discharge system in some way, alternatively there could be an interlock to prevent the weapon discharging without the head fully deployed. No obstruction to the movement could be discerned & it was concluded that the control mechanism for it’s deployment was at fault. No discrete control circuits or elements could be discerned. Operation was achieved by a two stage stud approximately one third of the way down the length of the shaft. First pressure deployed the head, second fired the weapon. Again no controlling circuitry could be identified. The power source was a vessel in the base of the weapon containing a green viscous liquid referred to as “liquid Naquadah” It seems unlikely that this is actually pure Naquadah as this would require the element to exist in two states at the same temperature and pressure (See reference to the metallic solid state under the Naquadah heading). Our speculation is that it is Naquadah suspended in another medium. If indeed the material is Naquadah, I believe we have only one half of the description of the power source & that it could properly be a Naquadah/?????? battery, analogous to a zinc/carbon or nickel /cadmium battery. The shaft appear to be substantially solid with no clear separation between, for instance, power carrying conductors and enclosing insulators. It was also highly ornamented. In all the level of examination possible raised more questions than it answered. The weapons has an “organic” appearance as if it were grown rather than manufactured. We suspect that this is to add to the imposing & intimidating appearance of the weapon, more than military utility. It is more akin to a quarterstaff than any form of terrestrial projectile weapon to handle. No sighting or aiming mechanism could be identified. The damaged weapon was returned to the base armoury. We understand it has been sent offsite for further examination by wafer sectioning and examination of the power source. Experimental work The fireable weapon was discharged in all approximately forty times without detectable reduction in output. Interchanging the power pack from the damaged weapon did not alter it’s output, verifying that the fault in the weapons was not due to a “flat” power supply. Energy readings taken during the firings show the weapon delivers an energy in the region of 10kJ to it’s target at a frequency of about 600MHz.. Relatively high static voltages in the region of 60kV are also produced at the target and the strike appears to impart kinetic energy to the target. This was not clear at first as it was considered that apparent kinetic effects on living targets as observed previously in combat with the Jaffa could be the result of convulsive movement by the victim. Tests on flak jackets & ballistic gel blocks confirm the effect is kinetic. The effects of this energy combination would be devastating. Energy at these frequencies produces “RF burns” which penetrate deeply beyond the site of impact. The high static voltages cause disorientation, muscular spasms memory holes & blackouts. The kinetic effects referred to below cause physical trauma and spectacular movement of the target at the moment of impact. Superheating, again referred to below will cause severe local burning. With no bullet debris or obvious projectile to cause the wounds, this adds up to a package of injuries that could seem more like the product of witchcraft more that the result of weapons fire. The significance of this will be drawn out below. The weapon therefore presents a bewildering array of mutually incompatible information. · It is clumsy to use compared with an Terrestrial automatic weapon · It cannot be aimed with great accuracy · It’s decorative/ceremonial appearance appears inconsistent with a military weapon. · It has a slow cycle time (about 2 seconds) · It delivers kinetic energy to it’s target but has no discernible “ammunition” supply. · Equally inconsistent with a kinetic energy weapon, it’s “projectile” appears visibly slow moving. Conclusions The contradictory nature of the results obtained mitigates against forming any firm conclusions but a number of interesting speculations arose about the purpose & function of the weapon: Mr Smith came up with an interesting hypothesis on these incompatibilities. His suggestion is that there are two distinct aspects to the weapon. It is usually referred to as a “staff weapon” Mr smith’s hypothesis is that “staff” & “weapon” are discrete and serve separate purposes. The staff, with it’s totem like carvings, the deploying head, the static discharge and arcing around the head, the sizzling noise it produces and the quarterstaff twirling of the weapon in use are all designed to impress and intimidate primitive people and play no real part in the “weapon” function at all. Think of it in terms of a combination of Gandalf’s staff, hammering sword hilts on shields, pumping or cocking the action of a firearm, performing katas, it’s all a combination of showmanship, witchcraft, and wizardry. We are still left with the kinetic energy conundrum, the actual ammunition it fires etc. Our first thought were a plasma weapon but that still requires some form of pellet or projectile to produce a kinetic effect. One of the problems of plasma weapons is that there is no way to contain the plasma outside the barrel of the weapon. Anything like a magnetic containment cannot be extended significantly beyond the end of the barrel (thinking in terms of a terrestrial gun) & any plasma sufficiently dense to remain coherent under it's own gravity would be massively destructive compared with the actual capabilities of the weapons tested. Mr Smith came up with a rather unusual ideas, but one which fitted what we knew at the time about the weapon. He suggested that it fires slugs of highly compressed superheated air! A few moments consideration of this novel theory appeared to show that it carries considerable weight. It provides an inexhaustible supply of ammunition. We already know the Goa’uld have incredibly efficient power supplies, so that fits with no one ever having witnessed one running out of firepower. It gives use a projectile with mass that can deliver kinetic energy to a target without leaving any fragments or debris behind. It can be highly charged to cause static effects, and superheated. Unfortunately, at this point, none of us had encountered a Death Glider. Subsequent observation that their weapons are simply a bigger version of the ones tested, and that they operate in a vacuum, rather spoils Me Smith's theory. My own observations with vehicles may to explain the apparent slow “trail” of the “round”, projectile or whatever the output actually is. Laminar flow wind tunnel tests show a distinct trail in the air behind a fast moving vehicle. If highlighted with coloured smoke this can trail hundreds of feet behind the vehicle, persist for a relatively long time and appear much slower than the vehicle generating it. If the air is ionised and heated by the passage of the “round” we could be witnessing just such an optical illusion. Incidentally, in case anyone thinks slugs of compressed air can’t be used in this way (in atmosphere, at least), I understand that the Americans, Russians, ourselves and the French have all experimented with compressed air “cannons” for riot control. It occurs to me that the question may arise as to the suitability/utility of this weapon for our own people. I would be deeply concerned that the wounds it inflicts are less than lethal, are uncommonly painful and extremely slow healing. I believe this weapon would be illegal under various of Earths international protocols. It’s low rate of fire and difficulty in use from cover seem to me to limit it’s tactical value. It is a weapon of intimidation rather than a war fighting weapon. It’s one virtue is in combat persistence. They never seem to run out of ammunition. Undoubtedly much work will be already taking place to develop applications for the seemingly limitless power available from Naquada. The one use I can think of for the weapon is that it appears to be part of the Whole Goa’uld/Jaffa paraphernalia of power. It is as much a symbol of status and authority as a weapon. It might be that the presence of these weapons at first contact situations might in some cases make attacks on our personnel less likely. Of course this would have to be orchestrated as part of a strategy to break the reverence and fear of the Goa’uld as gods that many of the people we encounter exhibit. All the measurements made in testing and during the discharge of one of these weapons at the gate do not consist with any other theory. The trail appears to be a disturbance in the air itself rather than a plasma stream or an electrostatic discharge. The are no significant energy build up readings from the weapon itself during firing. The lack of recoil appears inconsistent with the kinetic effect on the target. At this point I have no consistent theory, never mind about conclusion as to the operating mode of this weapon. All the test targets, gel blocks and body armour have been submitted for full materials analysis to determine what caused the damage to them. As already noted the damaged weapon has been sent for detail disassembly and sectioning. Graphs and charts of all reading taken are attached to this report. ---- Back to Technological Database Category:Weapons Category:Goa'uld